News

Money to be Released for Tuberculosis Vaccination Research

UK – Major gaps in understanding bovine Tuberculosis (bTB), including new information for a cattle vaccination, are to be addressed by a funding boost for UK science.

Released by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the money will fuel ‘world-class research’ into the fundamentals of bTB biology.

The £7 million package is aimed at improving vaccine technology, understanding the diversity of bTB strains and the learning about the interaction between pathogen and host animals.

Up to £2 million has been available for the development of non-animal models to accelerate bTB research by reducing reliance on research animals.

Such a funding boost is needed in the fight against bTB, said Professor Jackie Hunter BBSRC chief executive.

Such ‘fundamental’ research can help tackle the issue of bTB as a whole, said Defra chief scientific advisor Ian Boyd.

He added: “We are encouraged to see AHVLA, as the UK's leading bTB research laboratory, spearheading this new initiative with cutting edge academia to develop the next generation of tools to combat Bovine Tuberculosis."